rolling grip/fingers forward

z0nt0n3r

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
hi everyone i have a question, i have an imperfection in my setup, as i get down into the shot, i kinda roll my grip/fingers (a little forward most of the times) on the cue before i start the practice strokes.could this cause any inconsistencies in getting the cue on the line of aim or stroking straight?or is it just a different playing style and doesn't cause any issues?when i watch the pros almost all of the have their grip hand already formed when in the standing position and they don't change that position as they get down.

here is an old video of me playing and this imperfection can be seen in the link below @ 0:55 or @ 1:38

 
Nothing bad here. I play a woman sometimes who takes her grip as a golfer does once already down. All her fingers kinda dance open and back onto the cue. I asked her about it and she didn't even know she was doing it and had a laugh when she saw how big the move was. Didn't hurt her much either.... it was just a way for her to feel she is connected to the cue in the same way every time.

Alex Pagulayan also has a bit of a finger dance and sometimes even seems to perform a backswing by walking his hand back on the stationary cue finger by finger for the first portion of the backswing. He does fine too lol. As long as your hand is on in a consistent way and that way allows for a str8 delivery, no real reason to worry about how you got there.

IF you would rather get rid of this, just add some strokes to your PSR as you often see pros do. A stroke--even one performed up in the air while standing--lets you get a feel for the shot while setting the grip. Since the grip position has performed a stroke already and it went well, you just leave it where it is with no dancing fingers.

But really, I don't think any change is necessary. What you are doing is one way to feel you are on the cue the way you want to be on the cue. Whether you take care of this in your PSR or while down doesn't really matter. Many pros, albeit a minority, adjust their grips and grip positions while down as well.
 
I noticed your grip most always at the rear of the handle, then those two moments/times I noticed your handle hand was more forward.
If I had a choice, and I don't really see too much wrong, w/o being there.
I would choose to hold the handle in your more forward/compact position.
With more shaft protruding off your bridge hand than less, your lateral movement/if any... of your handle hand, is accentuated at tips end.
 
thanks guys, i have the same opinion about this, that it isn't nessecary to change it, just wanted some reassurance
 
hi everyone i have a question, i have an imperfection in my setup, as i get down into the shot, i kinda roll my grip/fingers (a little forward most of the times) on the cue before i start the practice strokes.could this cause any inconsistencies in getting the cue on the line of aim or stroking straight?or is it just a different playing style and doesn't cause any issues?when i watch the pros almost all of the have their grip hand already formed when in the standing position and they don't change that position as they get down.

here is an old video of me playing and this imperfection can be seen in the link below @ 0:55 or @ 1:38

Why do you think you do it?
 
hi everyone i have a question, i have an imperfection in my setup, as i get down into the shot, i kinda roll my grip/fingers (a little forward most of the times) on the cue before i start the practice strokes.could this cause any inconsistencies in getting the cue on the line of aim or stroking straight?or is it just a different playing style and doesn't cause any issues?when i watch the pros almost all of the have their grip hand already formed when in the standing position and they don't change that position as they get down.

here is an old video of me playing and this imperfection can be seen in the link below @ 0:55 or @ 1:38

At @1:38, you place your bridge hand down on the table, then slide your left hand, your bridge hand, along the cloth to get closer to the cue ball.

This is because you are standing a bit too far from the cue ball to begin, and this slide will cause the stick to tug your stroke hand. So your hand might wriggle or adjust and then it kills the angle of your stroke arm some, too. (It's sort of a "hidden" tip gap, if you are familiar with the phrase tip gap, the distance from your cue tip to the cue ball at address.) You can watch your upper body, including arm, torso and head, slide forward into position with your bridge hand on the video--pros never make this move because they stand closer to the cue ball to begin.

Standing closer to the cue ball--just a couple of inches, experiment--if your ferrule clangs the cue ball you're of course too close to start into the address position--will help you get better strokes through the cue ball, with a softer touch (at first it will feel too constricted, but your feel will improve after just a few minutes). Try it!
 
At @1:38, you place your bridge hand down on the table, then slide your left hand, your bridge hand, along the cloth to get closer to the cue ball.

This is because you are standing a bit too far from the cue ball to begin, and this slide will cause the stick to tug your stroke hand. So your hand might wriggle or adjust and then it kills the angle of your stroke arm some, too. (It's sort of a "hidden" tip gap, if you are familiar with the phrase tip gap, the distance from your cue tip to the cue ball at address.) You can watch your upper body, including arm, torso and head, slide forward into position with your bridge hand on the video--pros never make this move because they stand closer to the cue ball to begin.

Standing closer to the cue ball--just a couple of inches, experiment--if your ferrule clangs the cue ball you're of course too close to start into the address position--will help you get better strokes through the cue ball, with a softer touch (at first it will feel too constricted, but your feel will improve after just a few minutes). Try it!
ok got it.i'll give it a try.
 
i believe i do it because as i get down on the shot, i realize that my grip hand is a little too far back so i roll my fingers to get it a little forward so that my arm is in a more vertical position.
I don't think you're doing it on every shot, are you?
 
correct, i don't do it every time.
Can you detect a pattern of when you do it, like on a particular type of shot? I'd hate to see you try to make a universal adjustment to your approach when you might not need it. When you do something like that you could wind up changing something that wasn't wrong in the first place.
 
ok got it.i'll give it a try.
I'm heading to the airport for an overseas conference but would love to hear of your progress when I return.

As far as any irregular pattern, getting close enough to the ball every time with your feet will tighten your stance. People who stand successfully closer to the cue ball lose their lunges and swerves (often) without coaching, since the lunge or finger fiddling may be a result of being too far from the CB at address.
 
This information is on point. Sometimes I can feel myself adjusting (moving) my stroke hand when I actually should have backed off and moved closer to the table. I'm going to put that into my practice playbook and run through some shots. Moving the wrist up and down that shaft is like eating M&M’s - You want to hurry up instead of enjoying the crunch!
 
This information is on point. Sometimes I can feel myself adjusting (moving) my stroke hand when I actually should have backed off and moved closer to the table. I'm going to put that into my practice playbook and run through some shots. Moving the wrist up and down that shaft is like eating M&M’s - You want to hurry up instead of enjoying the crunch!
This may sound weird, but it's true: I can feel when I'm extra "on" because I'm right up on that cue ball. Meaning I simply assume the full stance and without taking any practice strokes, I know my opponents better look sharp!

Amateurs early in their career learn to stand far away (to avoid, for example, fouling the cue ball on a practice stroke). The pros in general are closer to the cue ball with their feet.

Quite a few years ago when thinking about the issue, I began to practice addressing the cue ball with both eyes closed and practiced being willing to foul the cue ball in practice--to get right up in there. I practiced with a cheap one-piece cue to avoid scratching my playing cue's ferrule as I banged the cue ball a bit.

Students who try this--standing right in there at my coached suggestion--usually feel constricted, awkward--yet they will of course get better results going forward, with gentler, smoother strokes, because the accuracy is back, the lunge is gone. Then the awkwardness is gone, too.
 
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